A refrigerator is an apparatus for storing storage objects (objects to be refrigerated or frozen) received in a storage space in a refrigerated or frozen state through a cycle constituted by compression, condensation, expansion and evaporation of refrigerant. In other words, a conventional refrigerator is provided with a storage space for receiving storage objects and a heat exchange unit for absorbing heat from the air in the storage space so as to maintain the storage objects disposed in the storage space at a temperature lower than the ambient temperature.
Because the volume of the storage space is restricted by the storage capacity set for the refrigerator, designing the storage space to be efficiently utilized is one of the critical factors in the design of a refrigerator.
For efficient utilization of the storage space, a conventional refrigerator is provided therein not with a space for receiving storage objects but with a drawer configured to be put into and taken out of the storage space and shelves for supporting the storage objects.
Because the storage space provided in the refrigerator is partitioned by drawers, shelves or the line in consideration of the volume of storage objects, the number or the volume of receiving components (shelves, drawers and the like) capable of being mounted in the storage space having the maximum volume, which is determined according to the capacity of the refrigerator, is inevitably restricted.
This means that some of the drawers and shelves have to be omitted, the volume of the drawers has to be reduced, or the distance between the shelf and the drawer or the distance between the shelves has to be reduced in order to add additional receiving component space to the storage space in the refrigerator. The reason for this is because, in order to add a new receiving component, a portion of the storage space has to be used as a space required to accommodate installation of the receiving component.
However, a change of design in which the number or the volume of drawers and shelves is reduced for installation of a new receiving component may cause a problem whereby the drawers or shelves cannot accommodate the amount of storage objects that is determined at the time of design, thereby decreasing storage efficiency.
In addition, because a change of design in which the number or the volume of drawers and shelves is reduced for installation of a new receiving component is no different from the design of a new storage space, it is difficult to add a new receiving component to a conventional refrigerator while maintaining the volume of the storage space that is already designed.